Normal, Ohio

Overview

The show began as a concept called Don't Ask, an Odd Couple-style sitcom where John Goodman played a character named Rex sharing a West Hollywood apartment with his college friend David, played by Anthony LaPaglia. The pilot got a positive response, but creators Bonnie and Terry Turner decided the idea wasn't strong enough to sustain a full series. They removed LaPaglia's character and moved the setting to Ohio. The show became known for the way it highlighted differing attitudes in American culture toward homosexuality. The main character, Gamble, is a working-class, bearish gay man who enjoys stereotypically masculine activities like football and beer, but his sexuality is also shown through occasional moments of more stereotypical behavior, like singing Broadway show tunes or helping his sister dye her hair. This inconsistency led some media critics to call the character unrealistic. John Goodman won a People's Choice Award for Best Actor in a New Comedy Series, but the show failed in the ratings when it aired opposite the second half of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. Twelve episodes were produced, but only seven made it to air before the series was canceled. Goodman appeared on the cover of TV Guide's 2000 Fall Preview issue alongside Geena Davis, Bette Midler, and Michael Richards. The magazine called them a "fab foursome," though none of their shows succeeded. The 2001 Fall Preview issue reprinted that cover with thought bubbles, including one over Goodman that read, "Even I didn't buy me as a gay dad!"